


Apologies

by IvyCpher



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 1: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter Friendship, Gen, Good Draco Malfoy, Hogwarts Forbidden Forest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:08:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26302447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IvyCpher/pseuds/IvyCpher
Summary: It is during their detention with Hagrid that Draco finally works up the nerve to apologize to Harry for all he's done to him.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 26





	Apologies

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Change](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23987890) by [IvyCpher](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IvyCpher/pseuds/IvyCpher). 



As Draco walked through the Forbidden Forest with Harry he couldn’t help shiver. The place was dark and frightening and even Hagrid’s large dog didn’t make him feel any safer. He cast a glance up at Harry in the weak light of both of their wands and bit his lip. He felt horrible and it wasn’t just because they were walking through the Forbidden Forest alone at night, it was because he had been a right git to Harry and wanted to apologize.

Even though Draco was only 11 years old he knew he was rude and mean, and he didn’t want to be like that anymore. Sometime before Christmas he had stumbled across an old, hidden mirror that still haunted the back of his mind. The mirror, he learned, showed a person what would make them the happiest. When Draco looked into that mirror he had seen Harry Potter as his friend _.  _ Draco thought that he would never have the real Harry as a friend for how he treated him in the past though.

Coming back to the mirror one night, Draco was caught one night by Headmaster Dumbledore, who told him that if he tried- and really regretted the things that he had said and done to Harry and his friends, then maybe Harry would forgive him and let him be his 

Ever since then, Draco had tried to work up the courage to apologize to Harry, but his first attempt had not gone as planned. When he heard that Harry was going to help Hagrid get rid of his pet dragon, he thought it would be a perfect opportunity to apologize to Harry and Hermione too (and to see a real live dragon, but that was beside the point). But when he snuck out of the Slytherin dorm to meet Harry and Hermione both at the astronomy tower, he was caught by McGonagall who dragged him to her office to punish him. He had accidentally thrown Harry and Hermione under the flying carpet by his confused stammers at being caught and they were caught by Filch and given detention too.

But then, even as scared as he was with being in the Forbidden Forest, Draco knew he wouldn't get a chance like then to apologize. He also knew if he didn't apologize right then and there that he might never do it. The thought of never apologizing to Harry and them continuing to be rivals, enemies when Draco didn't want that at all made him sick to his stomach. He took in a deep breath and tried to steady his voice, "Potter."

"What is it, Malfoy?" Asked Harry tiredly, not even bothering to turn back and look at him. "Don't think you'll be able to scare me like you did Neville."

"What?" Draco was confused for a second but then remembered the good laugh he had at pinching Longbottom and him squealing like a pig in fright. "Oh,  _ that."  _ He did it because he was bored and because he thought it would be funny, but now that he was with Harry he felt guilty about it. Harry was probably friends with Neville afterall, who in Gryffindor  _ wasn't _ Potter friends with? Draco was going to have a hard time apologizing if he kept messing with Harry's friends.

"I…" Draco swallowed but his throat felt dry. He closed his eyes tightly and spoke fast so that he could just say what he wanted to say and finally be done. "I wanted to say sorry."

Harry stopped so suddenly in front of him that Draco accidentally bumped into him. "You what?" He asked unbelievingly, turning around. The light from his wand glared on his glasses and hid his eyes.

"I've been a git."

"You have." Harry said slowly, looking at Draco curiously. He looked around them in the dark forest but slowly looked back at Draco. "Is this your idea of a joke?"

Slowly, Draco shook his head. He looked down at the knotty ground, unable to meet Harry's eyes. "I… I don't want to be mean to you P- Harry." He glanced up at Harry for a second then back to the ground. "I want friends, Crabbe and Goyle- they're not friends. I want friends like you have, I want-" He finally looked up at Harry, determined to meet his eyes. "I want to be your friend, Harry." He stuck out his hand and willed it not to shake. "Will you give me a second chance?" He asked quietly.

Looking at Draco for a moment that felt like forever, Harry took Draco's hand. "I'm trusting you just this once." He nodded, shaking Draco's hand. "But I think everyone deserves a second chance if they really want to try." He flashed Draco a small smile and pointed over his shoulder with his wand. "Let's get back to the trail. I think I saw something sparkly on the ground."

Draco couldn't help his excitement and grinned as he shook Harry's hand. He had never felt happier, even the shadows of the Forbidden Forest couldn't put a damper on his sudden good mood. With a quick nod, he trailed behind Harry as they progressed deeper into the forest as they carefully followed the trail of what they found out was unicorn blood. Draco wasn't really paying attention to the blood, or even where they were going for that matter. He was still too happy to focus on anything 

But Draco was brought out of his thoughts when Harry's arm shot out and stopped him from going any further. "Look," Harry whispered, pointing his wand out a little ways ahead of them.

Holding his own wand out too, Draco looked over Harry's arm and felt his blood run cold. They had found the unicorn, and it was dead. He supposed that it would've been very beautiful alive, but even in death it carried some eerie sense of beauty. Like a corpse all made up and pretty for a funeral.

Harry slowly began to walk closer to the dead unicorn, and Draco reluctantly followed with Fang at his heels. Then, stopping them in their tracks, there came a faint noise of rustling leaves and a cloaked figure walked out from a thicker part of the forest. It seemed not to notice them as it slinked over to the dead unicorn and began to drink its blood.

Fang let out a frightened yelp and bolted away, leaving them alone with the figure who then raised its head to look at Draco and Harry. Draco felt his heart stop when the hooded figure looked at them, there was blood shining on their mouth and dripping down the front of their cloak.

"Potter-" Draco's voice was no more than a frightened whisper as he grabbed Harry's arm. The figure stood up and was beginning to near them. "H-Harry, we have to go!" But Harry was frozen with fear. Draco wanted to run away, but Harry had just given him a second chance. He could not leave him there to die.

As Draco tried to pull Harry away from the figure, he pointed his wand at them, but his hand was shaking so bad that he couldn't keep it still and he was so scared that he couldn't think of a single spell. "Harry,  _ please!"  _ He pleaded, and then suddenly, Harry fell to his knees, groaning with his hands flying to his forehead.

Even though he wasn't very strong, Draco bent down to try and pick Harry up so that he could run away with him. It was a good thing he bent down when he did, however, because just then something jumped over him and Harry and charged at the figure.

Harry was still groaning in pain in Draco's arms when Draco saw the thing that had jumped over them, a centaur, scare off the hooded figure. With the figure gone, Draco began to notice that he was shaking with fright.

"Ugh-" Harry, who was clinging to Draco's arms, looked around and saw the centaur. His eyes went wide, "What happened?" He asked Draco, removing himself from him.

Draco didn't have a reply, he was too stunned from what had just happened to speak. 

The centaur turned around to face them, "Are you two alright?" He asked, helping Harry up.

Nodding softly, Harry looked around again. "Yes, thank you. What-"

"What  _ was  _ that?" Asked Draco shrilly, quickly standing up beside Harry. He was worried whoever the cloaked figure was would come back. If they were a wizard, he wasn't so certain that a centaur could protect them from their magic.

But the centaur did not answer. "You are the Potter boy." He said, looking at Harry. He looked to Draco but didn't do anything but shake his head. "You two must get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe."

"Of course it's not safe! It's the  _ Forbidden  _ Forest," Grumbled Draco to himself. He stood close to Harry, his eyes scanning the trees for anymore hooded figures.

The centaur either didn't hear him or pretended like he didn't. "I am Firenze. Can either of you ride?" He lowered himself so that Harry and Draco could climb on to his back. "It will be quicker this way."

Harry and Draco shared a hesitant look before clambering onto Firenze's back with Harry near the front and Draco behind him, feeling rather awkward and not knowing where to put his hands. When Firenze stood up though he was so spooked that he held on to Harry for dear life to keep from falling back off.

Before Firenze could start walking them out of the forest, there came two more centaurs through the thick of the trees. One looked at Draco and Harry on Firenze's back and scowled, "Firenze, what are you doing?" He asked angrily, "Carrying humans on your back like some common mule? Is that what you think you are now? Do you really hold yourself so low?"

"Don't you realize that this is the Potter boy, Bane?" Firenze asked calmly but his voice was set and determined. "The sooner he leaves this forest, the better." Draco wasn't used to being ignored, but in the course of the night he would rather be ignored for the rest of his life than come across anymore frightening strangers. 

The centaur called Bane eyed Harry and Draco like they were a very unpleasant and nasty piece of garbage. "Remember, Firenze," He gestured upwards to the sky. "We are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have you not read what is to come in the movements of the planets? We are not humans who try to  _ dabble  _ and change the course of fate."

The centaur beside Bane pawed at the ground nervously. He put a hand out on Bane's chest and looked at him hesitantly. "I'm sure that Firenze only thought he was acting for the best." He cast a look at Firenze that plainly said ' _ go'  _ before looking back to Bane. "The heavens are often misread…"

Distracted by the other centaur, Bane was unable to round on Firenze again which gave Firenze the perfect opportunity to escape with Harry and Draco on his back.

Harry looked back at Draco and Draco felt relieved to see that he looked as confused as he felt.

"Firenze, - why is Bane so angry?" Harry asked slowly.

"And what was that monster from earlier?" Draco interjected. He shivered at the mental image of the hooded figure and the silver blood it was covered in.

But Firenze answered neither of them as he trotted through the forest. He just told them to keep their heads down in case of low hanging branches. The silence only made Draco feel stiff and uncomfortable, he wanted answers. He wanted to know who was going around in the forest killing unicorns- who had tried to attack them. It would be only then (and after he was out of the forest) that he would feel safe again.

"Do either of you know what unicorn blood is used for?" Firenze asked. He had been quiet for so long that Draco flinched when he spoke.

"No," Draco and Harry said together.

"We've just used the horn and the tale in Potions." Said Harry.

Firenze told them both of what a crime it was to kill a unicorn and the conditions that came with the drinking of their blood. It was all very disgusting to Draco and just made him feel sick on top of all his anxiousness. He just wanted to get back to the castle and go to bed and never even  _ look  _ at the forest 

For a few minutes, Draco unknowingly tuned out Harry and Firenze's conversation as he thought of how comfortable his bed would be back in his dormitory and just how eager he was to sink into it and go to sleep. He was only brought out of his thoughts by a nervous shout from Hermione Granger.

"Harry, are you all right?" She called, running through the forest to meet them, followed by Hagrid. She stopped nervously in front of Firenze and looked around him at Harry and Draco.

Firenze bent down and Harry jumped off of his back, followed by Draco.

"We're-" Harry looked back at Draco and nodded at Hermione. "We're fine." He said weakly. "We found the unicorn, Hagrid, it's dead and in that clearing back there."

While Hagrid looked relieved to see that Harry and Draco were safe, he stepped around them both to examine the dead unicorn. Hermione ran to Harry and threw her arms around his neck in a tight hug. "We were so worried when Fang came back without you two!" She looked unsurly at Draco, then silently back to Harry.

Firenze carefully examined them all and Draco was well too aware of his eyes on him. "Harry Potter, be careful in these times. I would hope that you would keep your friends close in what is coming." He nodded to Hermione and Draco, "Good night." Then he turned around and left them.

They were close to the school grounds then. Moonlight broke through the tree branches above them. Draco had to fight the urge to run out of the forest and all the way back to the castle.

Stepping away from Harry, Hermione inclined her head back towards the direction of the school grounds. "Let's get out of here, Neville is already back in Hagrid's cabin. He was so worried when Fang came back without you both that he had an anxiety attack." She shook her head and turned towards the edge of the forest.

Draco was most eager to follow her and to get out of that godforsaken forest, but as he moved to follow her, Harry stopped him. "Hey-" Harry started, pushing up his glasses. "Thanks for your help back there." He smiled nervously. "You could've ran, but you didn't."

It took Draco a second to figure out what Harry was talking about. He had been so preoccupied with not dying earlier that his memory had blanked on him. "Yeah, well…" He looked the other way, embarrassed. With a shrug, he felt his face heat up. "I wasn't lying when I said I wanted to be your friend. Leaving you to die at- at whatever that thing was wouldn't be a good way of proving it."

And in the dark of the Forbidden Forest, Harry did the last thing Draco expected him to do. He laughed. Draco quickly looked up at him, feeling his face burn even more. "Yeah, probably not." Harry's smile widened. He shivered, running his hands over his arms. "Seems everybody wants me dead." He shrugged, "Knowing you don't though- well I guess that makes me feel a bit better that I can count on you."

Smiling softly, Draco took a step forward. "Don't get all sappy on me, Potter. It's not like I saved your life or anything." He muttered, "Let's leave this horrible forest and never come back."

Nodding, Harry walked beside him as they stepped quickly out of the forest and back onto the school grounds by Hagrid's hut. "One trip into the forest is enough for me. I think I'll be happy if I never see it again."

Draco would have never thought that he and Harry would walk into the Forbidden Forest enemies and emerge friends, but- even though he was probably scarred for life he was still thankful to have had to travel into the forest with Harry. Because if he hadn't, he would have never apologized… and he would have never become Harry's friend. He looked up at the stars and wondered what the centaurs were talking about earlier, and if him and Harry becoming friends was prophesied up there too.

"You coming, Draco?" Harry asked, already at the door of Hagrid's hut.

Looking down from the sky, Draco nodded and joined Harry. Then they went inside Hagrid's hut with Neville, Hermione, and Fang to wait until Hagrid got back.

**Author's Note:**

> I think niche is my personal brand of fic at this point XD It's that time of year where I reread the Harry Potter series so of course I get random fic ideas along the way!
> 
> Comments are very much appreciated!!!


End file.
